Colorful Colorado, so named because of it's brightly colored red rocks, is located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. It is home to more than 4.3 million people and is the gateway to the plains of the Midwest. A rich history that includes famous people, such as Buffalo Bill, national landmarks, such as the Air Force Academy, and fascinating natural wonders, such as mountains that top 14,000 feet, facts about Colorado are a good addition to any study of the United States.

The Colorado Capitol Building is located in Denver. This building took six years to complete, from 1894 to 1900. The inside is decorated with Colorado rose onyx, otherwise known as Beulah Red Marble. This is a native material and all of it that is available in the world was used in the Capitol Building. It has never been found in any other part of the world. One of the steps of the Capitol Building is marked with "One Mile Above Sea Level." This marks the exact spot where Denver, often called the Mile-High City, reaches exactly one-mile high.

Colorado is known for its mountains. In fact, 75 percent of all of the U.S. land that is above 10,000 feet in altitude is in Colorado. The state also boasts the largest flat-top mesa, located in Grand Mesa in the far western part of the state. The highest point is Mount Elbert, which is 14,433 feet above sea level. Colorado is home to 222 state wildlife areas and offers many opportunities to see mountain wildlife in action. Colorado also has the highest mean altitude in the United States.

Colorado is the eighth largest state by area in the United States, and the U.S. government owns one third of that land. It boasts the highest paved road in America as well as the longest continuous street. The song "America the Beautiful" was inspired by the view from Colorado's Pike's Peak, located in Colorado Springs, about an hour south of the capital city of Denver. Dove Creek, Colorado is the pinto bean capital of the world, and Pueblo is the only city in the U.S. to be home to four living Medal of Honor recipients. The patent for the cheeseburger was awarded to a man from Denver in 1935, allowing this city to be home of that favorite American meal.

Colorado is the only state to ever have turned down the opportunity to host the Olympics. The voters worried about cost and pollution in their state. In a town called Fruita, Colorado, residents hold an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day." It seems a man cut off the head of a chicken, expecting to eat the bird for dinner, and instead the chicken lived without its head for four years. Fountain, Colorado was discovered by researchers to be the one place in the country that best represents the American melting pot. This town has a demographic that closely resembles that of the country as a whole.